Free Old City Walking Tour
(Click map for printable version)

Location: Vienna's Historic City Center
Cost: Free (optional museum costs below)
Start: State Opera House (Karlsplatz Metro stop)
End: Burggarten Park (Museumsquartier Metro stop)
Distance: 1.6 miles
Time: 60 minutes for walk (not including sightseeing)
Fun Scale: 9 out of 10

They say the only way to truly appreciate Vienna is to see it by foot and this do-it-yourself free tour is the best. 
 
1. Vienna State Opera House (Staatsoper) - In a city known for music, this grand opera house takes the cake.  It has housed some of Austria's best musicians, still has 70 different works with over 300 performance a year, and is very large holding over 1,200 guests at once.  The Opera is a great place to set the tone for our city center walking tour.  Tours: 6.50€ also includes the Opera Museum, 1-4 tours daily, varies by day but is updated monthly on their website, tour is great and brings you to a lot of backstage areas.  Performances: If you are not that into three hours of opera, they also sell 567 standing room only tickets per show, 160 of which can be right below the emperors box.  Standing room tickets are cheap, 2€ upstairs and 3.50€ downstairs, and allow you to easily leave when you've had your fill.  Standing room only tickets go on sale 60 mins before each show at the front door and 80 mins before the show inside the side door at the Stehplatze booth.
2. Sacher Café - Known for its chocolate and is a lot more touristy then the neighboring Sacher Stube Café. Sacher Café is a nice elegant spot to refuel for the rest of the walking tour and 8€ will get you a really good coffee & excellent slice of cake.
3. Anti-War & Fascism Monument - A very moving four piece monument highlighting the violence and tragedy the Austrians faced in WWII while under Nazi rule.  The site is even more humbling knowing that the monument was built of the site where 100's of Austrians were buried alive while hiding in a cellar during WWII bombings.
4. Alberina Museum -  Former home of Maria Christina, the only one of Marie Antoinette siblings who was allowed to marry for love.  It is open daily from 10am-6pm (till 9pm on Weds) and 9€ not only gains to access to a private collection of famous works including Rembrandt & Rubens, but also access to Maria Christina's fancy state rooms. 
5. Kaisergruft - Has the Capuchin crypt where the 150 members of the old ruling family the Hapsburgs bodies are kept in coffins.  The Hapsburgs organs are not buried here however; their guts are below St. Stephen's Cathedral and hearts are in Augustinian Church.  Crypt is very informative, cost 4€, and is open daily form 930am-4pm.

6. Kärntner Strasse - This street is a very busy pedestrian only street lined with great shops and places to eat.  If you haven't got a souvenir yet this would be a good place to look.
7. St. Stephen's Church (Stephansdom) - The center of the city and focal point of Vienna main square Stephanplatz, this massive gothic cathedral towers over everything.  St. Stephen's Church, started as a parish in 1147, was completed in 1433, and now stands at a monstrous 449 ft tall. You may notice that the blue and gold tiled roof stands out from the dark Gothic style of St. Stephen, that's because the tiles were donated by the Viennese citizen to repair WWII damage.  If you have some extra time and want to the see the best view of the city, ascend one of the churches' two towers.  The south tower Alter Steffl, or "Old Steve," leads you 363 steps up a spiral stair case to the best city cent view.  The neighboring north tower Nordturm is not as tall, but has an elevator and one of the biggest church bells in all of Europe.  The bell, Boomer Bell (Pummerin), is over 20 tons in weight, 10 feet in diameter, and is known for ringing every midnight on New Year's Eve.  The most interesting thing about this iconic church is that it's where Mozart himself once worked.   Hours: Daily 6am-10pm  Cost: Free  Service: Sun & Holidays at 1015am, 930am in July & Aug  Tours: English daily from April-Oct at 345pm for 4€  Tower Access: for 3€, south tower via stairs, or 4€, north tower with elevator. 

8. Graben - Now lined with tons of stores and shops, this stretch of road was once a "graben," or ditch, used as a moat by the Romans. If you happen to be in Vienna during Advent, this street is a can't skip Graben, as its lighting at night is magical.
*As you stroll down the Graben, it will be impossible to miss the...
9. Plague Monument (Pestsäule) - Americans far too often overlook the impact of the plague on Europe during the middle ages making this a good monument to take in.  Although the monument took the long time to build it is amazing with a mixture of marble statue and gilded emblems all rising up the same tall tower.  The finished tower you see today honors the 1/3 of Viennese population who died from the plague of 1679 and is a thanks to God from the two thirds who survived.  Around Christmas beautiful lights droop across the Graben and dangle above the monument.
*As you continue down the Graben and hit Jungferngässchen St turn down this short road to the green-domed...
10. St. Peter's Church (Peterskirche) -  While it is tucked into a tight spot on Petersplatz, St. Peter's is a Baroque masterpiece.  Most people walk by take a couple pictures of the exterior and leave, don't be one of those people.  Take a couple of minutes to walk inside and see the beautiful Baroque marble interior.  When you get inside you quickly forget how small of a plot it sits on because they use the space and the dome to make it feel huge.  The current green-domed church wasn't finished until 1723 but there has been a church at this spot since the early 4th century.   Hours: Daily 9am-630pm  Cost: Free
11. Demel Bakery & Café - This 200 year old shop has the standard 10€ cake and coffee deal, but has many other amazing chocolates and deserts to make your mouth water.  In its early years, on the first cold day of the year all the ladies of esteem and importance came by Demel's and drank a cup of hot chocolate. Demel has always been a much loved meeting point of the aristocracy as well as of the bourgeoisie.  On the way to Demel, along Kohlmart you will notice a number of fancy shops and stores.  The logo "K. u. K" you see on the shops is short for the German phrase König und Kaiser, meaning good enough for the king. Hours: Daily 9am-7pm
12. Carriage Courtyard - These carriage stalls date back to medieval Vienna and are home to the Spanish Riding School (Spanische Hofreitschule).  The riding school goes way back and is known for its delightful white horses and horse ballet show.  Tickets for the horse shows can be extremely hard so make sure to book a head if possible.
13. Hofburg Palace - In the center of Michaelerplatz square are some nice Roman ruins, but the main focus is the Giant Hofburg Palace. A towering building over looking Burggarten Park which serves as the emperor's palace. Highlights of visiting the historic landmark include the Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, and the Imperial Silver Collection.  We suggest getting the Sisi ticket as you will also be able to see the Imperial Furniture collection and a free pass to tour Schönbrunn Palace.  Hours: Daily 9am-530pm  Cost: 9.90€ with audio guide  Tours: 12.40€, however the 22.50€ Sisi ticket is the best deal as it also includes Schönbrunn Palace, children 18 and under almost half off.
*Along the north west side of the Palace follow the road and cross the Ringstrasse Tram tracks all you'll be in the middle of...

14. Museum Quarter - Is made up of two giant twin museums facing each other.  To the east side of the square is the highly rated Kunsthistorisches Museum which holds Vienna's greatest collection of paintings is well worth the 10€ to get in.This museum covers very fun loving art from over a 200 year span and is open Tues-Sun 10am-6pm but stays open on Thursday until 9pm.  The museum to the west side of the square is the Museum of Natural History or Naturhistorisches which holds Austria most famous work of art, the Venus of Willendorf.  The four inch tall Venus is dated to be made between 24,000 and 22,000 B.C. and depicts a plump naked female figure carved into limestone.  Behind these two museums is a third one worth a stop by any modern art lover, the Quartier Modern Art Museum.
*After your trip to the museums walk back across the Ringstrasse and on the east side of Hofburg you can get some much needed rest at...

15. Burggarten - While Old City Vienna has a ton of parks this one is a great one not only to relax but also to take photos.  The park has a great back drop from the enormous Hofburg Palace, it also has a number of circle Mozart chairs for taking very unique pictures.  Overall we would suggest joining the mainy people relaxing in the grass and take some time to reflect on how cool the things were that you just saw and to be happy you decided to check out Vienna.
With the City Center Walking tour complete, simply walk toward the south west to find the Museumsquartier Metro stop...

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